Nehemiah 8:2

_AND EZRA THE PRIEST BROUGHT THE LAW BEFORE THE CONGREGATION BOTH OF MEN AND WOMEN, AND ALL THAT COULD HEAR WITH UNDERSTANDING, UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-8 Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion. Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is ther...

Verse Nehemiah 8:2. _ALL THAT COULD HEAR WITH UNDERSTANDING_] Infants, idiots, and _children_ not likely to receive instruction, were not permitted to attend this meeting; nor should any such, in any place, be ever brought to the house of God, if it can be avoided: yet, rather than a poor mother should be deprived of the ordinances of God, let her come with her child in her arms; and although it be inconvenient to the congregation, and to some ministers, to hear a child cry, it is cruel to exclude the mother on this account, who, having no person to take care of her child while absent, must bring it with her, or be totally deprived of the ordinances of the Christian Church. _UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH._] This was the _first_ day of what was called the _civil year_; and on it was the _feast of_ _trumpets_, the year being

UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH - The day of the “Feast of Trumpets” (see the margin reference note). The gathering together of the people, spoken of in Nehemiah 8:1, was probably to observe this feast....

PART II. ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF RELIGION AMONG THE JEWS UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF NEHEMIAH. EXPOSITION RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OF THE PEOPLE BY EZRA, AND CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Nehemiah 8:1.). It can scarcely be imagined that Ezra had been present in Jerusalem during the exciting scenes which have been enacted in the first part of this Book, an

SEVENTH MONTH That is, October; (Nehemiah 8:2); (Nehemiah 8:14)....

II. THE SPIRITUAL REVIVAL CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The reading of the law before the water gate (Nehemiah 8:1)_ 2. A day of joy and not of mourning (Nehemiah 8:9) 3. The keeping of the feast of tabernacles (Nehemiah 8:13) Nehemiah 8:1. This interesting chapter gives the record of a gracious revival through the reading of the law. All the people gathered themselves together as one man in the street that was before the water gate, the place which suggests the cleansing and refreshing power of the Word. And as a united people they had but one desire, to hear the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded, to I

PART IV (Nehemiah 7:73_ b_ - Nehemiah 10:39). EZRA AND THE LAW. Nehemiah 7:73 b - Nehemiah 8:12. The Reading of the Law. Nehemiah 7:73 b. These words are repeated by mistake from Ezra 3:1. NEHEMIAH 8:1. _Cf._ Ezra 7:6. It is clear that we have here only part of the ori

BROUGHT THE LAW BEFORE THE CONGREGATION, BOTH OF MEN AND WOMEN. It is to be noted that the teaching was not confined to the male sex, but all were present of both sexes who "could hear with understanding," all except little children.. nation is at least as much benefited by the education of the women, and especially the mothers, as by that of the other sex. No people can be called truly enlightened until the women are well educated. Children naturally follow in the mother's footsteps. Still more is it needful that women be intelligent in morals and in the law of the Lord. Wonder has often been expressed that Jewish children should cling so closely to the practice of their fathers. It is due, more than to any one cause, to the intelligence of Jewish mothers in the law. THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH. The day of the "feast of Trumpets, appointed as one of Sabbatical rest, and on whic...

EZRA THE PRIEST. It was the priest's duty at this and at all times to teach the people the Word of God. See note on Deuteronomy 17:11; Deuteronomy 33:10. and compare Malachi 2:7. CONGREGATION. assembly or muster. UPON THE FIRST DAY, &C. This was according to the requirement of Deuteronomy 31:9, every seventh year. Compare Leviticus 23:23; Nehemiah 2:5)....